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Mekhet (VTR)
For other uses of the term '''Mekhet', see Mekhet (disambiguation).'' Mekhet are a clan in Vampire: the Requiem with an affinity to darkness. The hallmarks of the clan are stealth, finesse and wisdom. There is often a certain amount of finesse and refinement in whatever Mekhet do. Mekhet can appear as stealthy information-gatherers, spies, assassins or scholars; but just as well they can be aristocrats making their mark in the societies of the damned. A Mekhet bodyguard for example is unlikely to rely on brute force, but rather know an ornate fighting style. A Mekhet thief is gracious or invisible, not a sloppy vandal. To the others, Mekhet appear to be the most ordinary of the kindred, the ones who seem to have the least to distinguish them from other vampires. They watch and hide, and the other clans don't seem to take much notice of them. Because Mekhet alone from the major clans have no powers of control over animals or people, they prefer to work in secret behind the scenes, via conspiracies and shadow cults. History The origins of the clan lie in the deep nights of ancient Egypt, where they fled the sun into the necropolis and learned the secrets of the dead. The word "Mekhet" comes from M'kh't (sometimes also spelled "Mekhat", since the script of Ancient Egypt did not depict vowels), which has been translated to mean "balance". These Mekhet believed that their souls had been never weighted against the feather of Ma'at and so, the true afterlife was barred to them. These creatures are separated from their ka through a lack of grave offerings (which caused the ka to leave the body), which allows the ba to enter the khat. The ba then has to fulfill the duties of the ka, meaning that the newly created Mekhet loses his reflection and his shadow. , p.12-13 One Clan legend tells that the Cult of Set transformed themselves into Mekhet as a way of resistance against Akhetaten and his sun-god Aton. In doing so, they could not be possessed by the spirit servants of the pharaoh and raise later to exert their vengeance against him. These priests later became the Followers of Seth. , p.56Other stories tell of a group of mariners that traveled into the unknown regions of the Underworld, giving their blood to the restless natives in exchange for directions. When they returned, they had left their blood in the Below and were instead filled with yearning for answers. , p.21 Through contact with other Clans, the Mekhet learned to use their blood for the Embrace, resulting in the modern Mekhet. , p.117 Tenebrae was the name the Propinqui used to identify the Mekhet in ancient Rome. According to Propinqui scholars they hailed from Egypt, specifically the Nile area. , p 42 The Beast The Mekhet's Embrace is a lot like dying and being reborn. The mind is preserved through the process, given perspective on the trial of death and transformation, it is shown the spiritual alchemy underlying the gross physical act. The Mekhet Beast is strangely silent compared to the Beasts of other Clans, making it hard for the Mekhet to distinguish what actions were his own and what actions were the result of the Beast's influence. Their kiss feels like revelation, like a corpse-cold epiphany, and their victims experience it like a surge of enlightenment, like they are on the verge of realizing some great secret or insight. For Mekhet, their Vessels are puzzles, means to find an enlightenment hidden in each drop of stolen blood. Clan Weakness As vampires closely related to darkness, Mekhet are more sensitive to light and fire. They take additional damage from fire and sunlight. In Vampire: The Requiem Second Edition, their weakness is slightly tweaked. Instead, the Mekhet suffer the Tenebrous Curse. Their blood forms Banes more quickly, resulting in the aforementioned weakness against sunlight, as well as a series of more esoteric weaknesses. For Elder Mekhet, these weakness additionally act similar to the bans and banes of ephemeral entities. Notable Members of the Mekhet Clan *Duce Carter, influential member of the Carthian movement in Chicago *Trey "Loki" Fischer, hound in Chicago *Coco Duquette, primogen in New Orleans *Thascius Hostilinus, founder of the Morbus bloodline *Elisabeta, the plague nun Gallery IconMekhet.png|Crest of the Mekhet. RomeClanMekhet.png|Mekhet Crest of the Roman era. LogoMekhet.png Romanmekhet.png|A Mekhet of ancient Rome. References * , p.20-22 * VTR: Danse Macabre (book), p.35-36 pl:Mekhet Category:Vampire: The Requiem glossary ** Category:VTR: Clans Category:WWWiki incomplete articles